The hotel has been under new management for just under a year and gradually the hotel is getting away from the coach party market and into a lovely place to stay for couples, families and small groups of friends.  This time of year they are providing excellent accommodation, drying facilities and warming food to skiiers on Glencoe, not only feeding and watering them but taking them to and from the slopes as well.  The reviews on Trip Advisor just get better and better. 

Our involvement starts soon and we just can’t wait!

Wendy is not the first garden related website we have worked on, we are still working with Chris Helik from Gordon Brothers Contracting perhaps we should get them together and see what they create? 

Wendy is one half of the owners of Boath House Hotel in Nairn and we are really pleased to say we will be working on their hotel SEO as well….. watch this space for a newly designed and fully search engine friendly website coming soon.

However, it is a shame to say it, but for all their preaching about good customer serice, the customer being number one priority, the customer being the driving force of your business, their customer service has badly let them down.  The list of bad service experiences goes on and on so I wont bore you with the details but it ranges from losing our account details completely to the latest being that they dont like sending information overseas anyway and are thinking of stopping doing this.  So, therefore our UK money and business is clearly no good for them anymore but it has been good enough for them for the past year even when we were not receiving the products they promised.

So, before this becomes a complete rant I also want to point out our dissapointment.  The work that Stompernet does is fantastic, the results speak for themselves and their profits show that their practices work.  Unfortunately they have got too big for us little guys and the UK £ is of no consequence to them anymore.

Twitter is all about building a following and following like-minded people, whether for business or pleasure.  As this is such a core part of the whole Twitter-thing, why is the search facility so poor?  In my opinion, the essential part of connecting with other businesses, is to be able to find them in the first place.

We run an SEO & Internet Marketing business in the Highlands of Scotland and there are not many businesses (in the grand scheme of things) that embrace the whole ’social media’ thing in our area which makes the Twitter’s inability to provide concise search results more frustrating.

However I recently came across an extremely helpful article with tools and tips at Mashable – http://bit.ly/mnQ1g - Have a read if you get the time.

A benefit to your business, or just another fad in the confusing world of social media?

Speaking from experience, we have definately got business from Twitter, outsourcing our SEO services to Scottish development & graphic design companies from Ayr to Dundee. It has taken many months to work out just how to focus our Twitter campaign, interacting with potential customers and just being there to help and answer queries that arise daily.

The key is the structure, quality and frequency of your posts  – I have read many articles about using Twitter, in both the newspapers and online, and recently read an article at Search Engine Journal which I think will place any beginner ahead of the game:

read the article at http://bit.ly/at7qex

SEO/SEM is a massive subject and different businesses require different services solutions and strategies – but all have questions ….

This is where we want to answer your queries so fire away!

TA bills itself as providing “Unbiased holiday reviews, photos and travel advice for hotels and vacations”

It came to light in 2009 that Trip Advisor was to begin charging for business listings – this has now come to pass.

As we have over 20 years experience in the hotel & leisure industry we are interested in feedback and comment from any Hotel, Guest House, B&B, Self Catering, Restaurant etc as to what this means to you ….

On the subject of Trip Advisor they are introducing a paid enhanced listing option to owners and in January it is on special offer for approximately £300.  The enhanced listing gives you a link to your website, a telephone number displaying on your listing, more control over the content and the ability to add your own images.  Has anyone taken them up on the offer?  We are in two minds.  Does it devalue the power of public opinion if owners can manipulate their listing?  Or does it add credence to the listing with the addition of a weblink and telephone number?  Not sure and interested to hear anyone elses views on the subject.  For more information on Trip Advisor business listings then take a look here.

And back to Taychreggan…. well done guys, keep up the good work and we will be over to see our favourite hotel soon!